Several powered watercrafts have been proposed in the past. For example, in the field of surfboards, U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,116 describes a board propelled by a rear-mounted gasoline engine designed to reduce the size and visual impact of the engine compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,413 describes another gasoline powered surfboard, with an engine mounted entirely inside the body. Evidently, these gasoline-powered boards shared substantial drawbacks including noise and smoke emissions, fuel and oil leaks and the consequential environmental concerns, increased weight, costs, and operational complexity. Appearance and performance characteristics were totally unlike those which surfers and paddlers expected from conventional boards or other types of personal watercrafts.
Moreover, electric-powered surfboards have also been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2003/0167991 describes a small electric-powered propeller unit mounted on a surfboard fin. U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,282 describes a propeller-driven surfing device with an electric motor and power supply. U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,329 describes a surfboard with dual internal electric motors and impellers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,166 describes a motor-powered board with a large rear propeller and foot-operated control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,634 describes a board with an electric motor controlled by switches on a steering column, driving a helical propeller and including a retractable brake. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,840 describes a board with a specialized shape and fin structure, dual water-jet pumps with angled intakes, and a wired handgrip control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,560 describes a motor housed in a box attached to the bottom of the board, with an external propeller and controls on a steering column. U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0201238 describes an electric-powered propulsion systems, associated operator-control systems, in which wireless controls are integrated with wearable marine accessories such as modified neoprene or fabric gloves, armbands, wristbands, hand straps, or gauntlets. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 9,071,747 describes a jet powered surfboard in which the power is controlled by a switch, and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0056423 describes a control device for a powered surfboard to send signals from a control device from the hand of the surfer.
However, despite all the different solutions of the background art watercrafts that are powered, none of these designs are in widespread use, as most watersport enthusiasts still use the non-powered counterparts. One drawback is that the existing powered watercrafts are too heavy for frequent recreational use, and add significant weight that reduced their portability. In addition, the control of the propulsion of powered watercrafts is usually difficult and requires training in the control device and its setup, for example via a joystick, throttle, pedals or remote control. Moreover, the powered watercrafts totally remove the natural feeling of operating these devices by manual paddling and rowing. These difficulties in controlling the power leads to a less desirable experience.
Accordingly, in light of the deficiencies of the background art devices, advanced and substantially improved solutions are desired in the field of powered watercrafts, to improve user-friendliness and user-experience, reduce power consumption, reduce costs, simplify operability, reduce weight and increase environmental sustainability.